Prior Knowledge

Assessment

Kylie Ford – Wondrous Water Activity

Why Water Properties?Cooperating teacher said students often have misconceptions about water propertiesWater is used in everyday life, students think they already know about itGreat discrepant events to cause cognitive dissonance

SOL Standards and Purpose

SOL 6.1 I: models and simulations used to explain phenomena and systemsSOL 6.4 D: atoms interact to form bondsSOL 6.5 B: properties of water (covering liquid only)Purpose: Given a demonstration and an experiment students will be able to observe and explain the properties of water including specific heat, adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension.

Student Interviews• Students were chosen with input from my

cooperating teacher• He helped me to chose students from different

achievement levels in the 6th grade class, lower, middle, and high achieving.

Student Interviews1. Why do you think the air is hot but the pool is

cold in the beginning of the summer? Student A: Because heat risesStudent B: Because the chlorine might have dry iceStudent C: Because the water hasn’t had time to warm up, could not explain why it takes time to heat up

Student Interviews2. How do you think water droplets form?Student A: GravityStudent B: Maybe because it takes a long time to drop, could not explain whyStudent C: Gravity

Student Interviews3. Why do you think water climbs up this paper towel? (demo – showed the difference between water and oil)Student A: Water wants to go where its dry and has more room to moveStudent B: Because water is made of H and O and no rocksStudent C: Paper towel has little air pockets that draw the water up the paper towel and doesn’t let it escape

Student Interviews4. Why can water striders (water bugs) “walk”

on water? (students were familiar with water striders)

Student A: small and light so they floatStudent B: they have walk on water shoes (part of body) and are thin and light so they don’t sinkStudent C: So light that they wont sink

Student Interviews5. Why do belly flops hurt?Student A: Because the whole body is hitting at once so the water hits harderStudent B: Makes a big pow so you stay on top of the water longer since you’re spread outStudent C: More surface area hitting you – matters because water hits you in more places

Engage2 Demos

Pepper floats, sinks when soap addedPaper clip floats, sinks when soap added

Students thought light objects could float, discrepancy shown when added soap, not extra weight, makes things sink

ExplorePenny Drop Lab

Students fill in the blanks for hypothesis, independent, dependent variablesStudents conduct 3 trials and record findings and observationsDone with water then with oil or vinegarOpen ended questions asked about their findings

ExplainAsked open ended questions about observationsTalked about sources of errorGuided note taking using ActivBoard about water properties using real life examples and discussion

Explain how waters polarity gives it its properties The pool and ocean for specific heatWater sticking to glass and not to rain jackets for adhesionWater droplets for cohesion

ElaborateCapillary action demonstration

Can you apply what you just learned? Explain how the properties of water make capillary action possible.

EvaluateActivity sheet collected and graded via the rubric belowStudents were given a chance to expand on their answers and resubmit if they were given a zero or one

Post Interviews1. Why do you think the air is hot but the pool is

cold in the beginning of the summer? Student A: Because air heats up fasterStudent B: Takes longer to heat up waterStudent C: Specific heat of water makes it take longer to heat up than air

Post Interviews2. How do you think water droplets form?Student A: Gravity, couldn’t explainStudent B: Water drops because its attracted to other waterStudent C: Cohesion – the molecules are attracted to each other and it forms the drop

Post Interviews 3. Why do you think water climbs up this paper towel? (demo – showed the difference between water and oil)Student A: Water needs somewhere to go and is attracted to the paper towelStudent B: Because it was soaking itStudent C: Cohesion causes water molecules to stick to each other and adhesion causes them to stick to the paper towel so they move up

Post Interviews4. Why can water striders (water bugs) “walk” on

water? (students were familiar with water striders)Student A: Its small so it floats Student B: Because of the way their legs are on the water they don’t fall through the strong surfaceStudent C: Surface tension. If you put soap on the water he would sink cause it messes up the bonds

Post Interviews5. Why do belly flops hurt?Student A: Body goes in all at once so water bonds don’t have time to breakStudent B: You’re trying to move water too fast and it doesn’t moveStudent C: More surface area hitting your skin, surface tension

Standards: INTASC 6 – multiple assessments

Pre and post interviews with open ended questionsOpen ended questions, charts, and opportunities for drawings on activity sheetTeacher checks for understanding during lab activity, note taking, and elaboration phase

Standards: NSTA 2c – address preconceptions

Use of discrepant events to cause cognitive dissonanceHands on interactionsOpen ended questions that address their alternate conceptions

Standards: NSTA 3c – fair assessment

Use of activity sheet with activities causing cognitive dissonance with their preconceptionsGave students opportunity to correct/ elaborate answers after initial gradingOpen ended questionsMultiple ways for students to show knowledgeDiscussion with students throughout the lesson

Standards: NSTA 5a – evidence of knowledge gained/corrected

Pre and post interviews with studentsQuestions asked to students during their explore and explain phase compared to their elaborate answer Unit test